In the past decade, the incidence of placenta praevia and placenta accreta has increased and seems to be associated with induced labour, termination of pregnancy, caesarean section and pregnancy at older age. These factors imply some degree of tissue damage, which can modify the decidualisation process, and produce excessive vascular remodelling. Placenta praevia and accreta are mainly located in the lower segment, a place that predisposes to persistent uterine bleeding because of the development of new vessels and because it is a poorly contractile area of the uterus. The complexity, determined by tissue destruction, newly formed vessels, and vascular invasion of surrounding tissues, warrants multi-disciplinary management. When resective procedures are undertaken, a suitable plan to tackle surgical problems allows better control of bleeding and avoids unnecessary hysterectomies. In cases of placenta accrete, and especially when skills or institutional resources are not available, leaving the placenta in situ may be the best option until definitive treatment is undertaken.
Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.